(Paralympic News): The International Paralympic Committee heads the Paralympic Games and has 176 National Paralympic Committees. The first Paralympic Games was held in 1960 Rome where over four hundred athletes competed from 23 countries. They are held in the same year as the Olympic Games and from 1988 it was decided that it will be held in the same venue with the same facilities as the Olympic Games till the 2032 games.

India participated for the first time in the 1968 Paralympic Games but did not win any medals. They have won 12 medals in the Paralympic Games and have participated in each of them since the 1984 Games. India did not participate in the 1976 and 1980 Games and has never participated in the Paralympic Winter Games which was first held in 1976. India will be participating in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games with a record 54 athletes comprising 40 men and 14 women.

1972 Heidelberg

There were 10 athletes, seven men and three women. Murlikant Petkar won the first ever Gold medal for India at the Paralympic Games. He is the first athlete to win a medal for India at the Games, finishing first in the 50 meter freestyle 3 with a world record time of 37.331 seconds. India finished 25th overall in the medal table.

1984 Stoke Mandeville/New York

The 1984 Games saw history made as Jogender Singh became the first Indian to win multiple medals in the same edition. He won the Silver medal in Men's Shot Put L6, Bronze in Men's Javelin L6 and Men's Discus Throw L6, with three medals he has the most medals in the Paralympics for an Indian. Bhimrao Kesarkar won the fourth medal for the country as he finished with a Silver in Men’s Javelin L6. India finished  37th overall in the medal tally. This was India’s most successful Games as there were four medals.

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2004 Athens

Twelve athletes competed in the Games in which there was only one woman. India won their first medal after the 1984 Games. Devendra Jhajharia won the first gold medal for India in Athletics as he finished on top with a throw of 62.15m in Men's Javelin F44/46 which also became a world record. Rajinder Singh Rahelu won the Bronze medal in Men’s 56kg Powerlifting. India finished 53rd with two medals.

2012 London

The country had 10 athletes participating in the Games, all of them men. Girisha Nagarajegowda won the only medal for India in the London games as he took home the Silver in Men’s High Jump F42. India finished 67th in the medal table.

2016 Rio de Janeiro

19 athletes represented India, with three women athletes. Mariyappan Thangavelu won the Gold medal in Men's High Jump F42, Varun Singh Bhati took the Bronze in the same event. Deepa Malik became the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Paralympic Games when she finished with a Silver in Women's Shot Put F53. Devendra Jhajharia became the first Indian to win two Gold medals and win medals in two separate occasions in the Paralympic Games. He again broke the world record in Men's Javelin F46 by recording a throw of 63.97m. This was India’s most successful Games, as it secured 2 Gold, a Silver and Bronze each. India finished 43rd in the medal tally.